THE CABINET is to consider plans to abolish, merge or rationalise over 20 agencies or so-called quangos next year as part of a new implementation plan for public service reform.
At their meeting tomorrow, Government Ministers are also expected to be asked to reaffirm plans to abolish or merge about 30 other agencies or quangos which were previously announced.
Ministers will also examine a list of other agencies which could be rationalised in the years ahead.
Among the proposals drawn up by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is that the Irish Sports Council should be incorporated back into the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
Under the proposals the National Sports Campus Development Authority, established originally to develop a sports campus at Abbotstown in west Dublin, would be discontinued.
The proposals would see Irish Water Safety subsumed into the Department of the Environment while the Heritage Council and Culture Ireland would be incorporated into the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
The plan would also see the National Library and the National Museum share services in the future.
Some of the changes proposed for agencies would require primary legislation, and in other cases contractual issues could arise.
The Cabinet is also to look at proposals which would see a “sunset clause” or a date for dissolution being set out for any new agency or quango established in the future.
Last week Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar said the Department of Public Expenditure had proposed cutting 106 State agencies, but this figure was likely to be scaled back to about 50.
The figure of 106 agencies in the frame for rationalisation is understood to include those previously announced, those to be announced this week and others that could be examined in the future.
Under other plans to be considered by the Cabinet, there would be a review of the functional areas of the 30 or more city and county enterprise boards and an examination of the potential to merge some of these.
Among the proposals which the Cabinet will be asked to reaffirm is the amalgamation of the Further Education and Training Awards, the Higher Education and Training Award Council and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland.
Ministers will also be asked to restate their support for merging the National Roads Authority with the Railway Procurement Agency and the Competition Authority with the National Consumer Agency.
The Cabinet will also consider a new implementation plan for reforming the public service with commitments in relation to redeployment of staff, the introduction of greater shared services, improved e-government and more centralised procurement.
Ministers will also examine a new report drawn up by the implementation body for the Croke Park agreement. This will say the number of staff in the public service has fallen below the 300,000 level – the figure now stands at about 297,000 – for the first time since 2006.
The Cabinet will also consider proposals for a new framework on how the reduction in public service numbers set out in the programme for government – potentially up to 41,000 by 2015 – would be implemented. However, the official employment control ceiling for the Civil Service, local authorities, health and education sectors is not expected to be announced for several more weeks.
The Government is expected to publish its public service reform plan on Thursday.